In mid-February, Canadians witnessed police remove the freedom convoy from illegal occupation of downtown Ottawa. We watched police disband disruptive blockades of major border trade routes. Amid barbequing, playing in bouncy castles and bathing in hot tubs, the occupiers and blockaders cried “freedom.” They caused grief and economic hardship to fellow Canadians. We watched our Canadian flag being waved and flown, sometimes upside down, as a symbol of dissent. We heard calls to bring down our elected government because of vaccine mandates and mask-wearing requirements designed to prevent illness and death from a pandemic virus.
A week later we witness Russian troops invading Ukraine. We see Ukrainians and people across the globe wave the Ukrainian flag in solidary, with pride, as a symbol of a nation’s right to freedom and in support of the Ukrainian government and country. We watch Ukrainians take up arms to defend their freedom from an illegal invasion.
On the streets of Russian cities, police arrest peaceful demonstrators who decry the invasion of Ukraine. We see the demonstrators being hauled away for defending another county’s right to freedom.
The distain I feel for the freedom convoy is matched by my admiration for Ukrainians and their supporters around the world who defend what freedom really means.
Freedom:
-The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.
-The absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government.
-The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.
Freedom comes with personal responsibility for our actions and our contributions to society’s common good.
Freedom is not possible without accountability for how our actions impact others.
As we travel through these disturbing and troubled times, please, let us spend a moment to consider how we can contribute to our own and a global sense of freedom without hurting those around us, without destroying the social fabrics that protect us.
I met a friend a couple of days ago while I was out for a walk with my dog. We commented on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said he felt helpless but had an urge to do something. I think many of us feel trapped in a cycle of helplessness as we watch events unfold. My friend phoned the liqueur store and asked that they remove Russian vodka from their shelves. He did something and felt better for it. I thought about this and have made a small donation to the Canadian Red Cross. My action in the name of freedom.
Well said, Kim. Remember how important writers were during the Spanish Civil War.